The end of an era

Last Sunday our 15 year old water bed sprung it's last leak. It's had plenty of chances, we've been through 2 heaters and 3 bladders.

I've always been very attached to the water bed. I really like a bed that welcomes me in to it rather than reluctantly allowing me to lie on top of it.

John and I decided it was time to look at other options, so we spent the day lying around on various beds in various bed shops, asking all of the appropriate questions and taking the whole thing very seriously. We finally decided on a bed filled with air chambers rather than the usual springs. We spent an hour or so in a large well known store finding out what our sleep number is. It turns out that my number is 30 and John's is 35. We watched with great interest as the sales person showed us on the computer screen that our pressure spots (shown as big red and orange lumpy bits ... all a bit confronting really) dissappeared as the bed yielded to our resting bodies. It's also quite interesting that after a while it seems quite natural to be lying on a bed in the middle of a busy shop with interested onlookers passing by the end of the bed.

This bed that I'm so taken with will allow us to dial up our individual number and the air pump will do the rest. The only problem is that it won't arrive for another 6 weeks, so meanwhile we are alternating between a thin foam mattress and an air bed. We're not really sure which of the two is the most uncomfortable. If we survive the 6 weeks the bed will sooth our tense muscles as we lower the air pressure down to our individual numbers. Sounds gimmicky but the price tag tells me it's probably a serious bed.

Our water bed era is over, it made me think of other phases of my life that seemed so terribly important at the time but eventually everything seems to run its course. There was the 10 years or so that I led groups on bushwalks 3 times a week, I never really saw the end to this really enjoyable part of my life coming, but eventually my body let me down a little and I let go of this passion. There was the pottery era, I even had my own wheel and kiln but when the kiln died so did my interest. Then there was the macrame era and the folk art era, both lasted for 5 or 6 years. The fitness instructor era that lasted for 18 years. My mandolin playing which lasted for around 10 years before giving way to playing the piano for the bush band that I still enjoy being a part of. I think the only exception to this will be quilting. I can't see me ever getting over the quilting obsession.